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The Charleston, South Carolina musicians Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent recently teamed up to combine several disparate recording ideas into a collaboration they call “Shovels & Rope“, which resulted in a record by the same name and a nationwide tour that included a number of dates with The Felice Brothers. This show at the Bell House was one of such opening sets (you can get the Felice Brothers set here), but Shovels & Rope were given a headliner-length set, and deservedly so. The duo, with nothing but a couple of guitars and a junkyard drum kit (literally salvaged from the trash) played by Trent, gave the already-packed house an outstanding set that combined Shovels & Rope material with standout tracks from their latest releases, including Hearst’s new record Lions and Lambs. In an era where what passes on the Billboard charts as “country” is little more than bubblegum pop with a Southern accent, it’s not surprising that real country music has found an audience with the rock and indie rock sets. Hearst and Trent may not be household names for a lot of NYC fans, but they are both formidable songwriters and breathtakingly authentic musicians, whose songs offer up sharp lyrical narratives as well as memorable hooks and melodies. Songs like “Hollowpoint Blues” highlight the new project’s appeal, with its rock n’ roll churn punctuated by Hearst’s spine-tingling vocals. Hopefully this current record is only the beginning for Hearst and Trent’s collaborations – Shovels & Rope is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Felice Brothers recording, with more emphasis given to the soundboard portion of the recording. The sound quality is outstanding, and I think it is even better than the Felice Brothers recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Hollowpoint Blues”:

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Stream “The Winner [Michael Trent]”:

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